Lumber breakdown hoist

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for receiving elongate articles stacked in superposed layers, such as boards and hack sticks laid up in cross-directed layers to form a lumber hack, and for segregating the elongate articles into groups by layers, the apparatus including platform means for supporting a stack of articles which is vertically movable independently of inclining movement of an upright frame means on which the platform means is mounted, so that a stack of elongate articles may be loaded onto the apparatus with the platform means at any required vertical position and thereafter be moved vertically and tilted in such a manner as to slide the uppermost layers of articles therefrom.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Jack M. Buss Lenoir, N.C. [21] Appl. No. 760,140 [22] Filed Sept. 17, 1968 [45] Patented Feb. 23, 1971 [73] Assignee Buss Automation Incorporated Lenoir, N.C.

[54] LUMBER BREAKDOWN HOIST 8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 214/85, 214/674 [51] Int. Cl. B65g 59/02 [50] Field of Search 198/ (lnquired); 209/(Inquired); 214/8.5 (A), 8.5 (K), 8.5, 38.22, 674

[56] Rama, Cited 7 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,702,678 2/1955 Flock 214/38.(22)X 2,834,482 5/1958 Parton 3,401,811 9/1968 Grasvoll 2l4/8.5(A) 3,404,790 10/1968 Brookhyser 214/8.5(A) FOREIGN PATENTS 144,379 3/1954 Sweden 2l4/8.5(A) 28,881 7/1957 Finland 214/8.5(A)

Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-George F. Abraham Attorney-Parrott, Bell, Seltzer, Park and Gibson ABSTRACT: Apparatus for receiving elongate articles stacked in superposed layers, such as boards and hack sticks laid up in cross-directed layers to form a lumber hack, and for segregating the elongate articles into groups by layers, the apparatus including platform means for supporting a stack of articles which is vertically movable independently of inclining movement of an upright frame means on which the platform means is mounted, so that a stack of elongate articles may be loaded onto the apparatus with the platform means at any required vertical position and thereafter be moved vertically and tilted in such a manner as to slide the uppermost layers of articles therefrom.

PATENTEUFEBZBIEWI I 6 3.565.266

- .SHEET 1UF-4 I v X INVENTUR:

JACK M. Buss WM5@MMM ATTORNEYS LUMBER BREAKDOWN ll-lIOIST In the manufacture of products from wood, such as the production of wooden frame furniture, it is desirable that the wood material be carefully and fully dried before manufacturing begins. For this reason, it is conventional practice in wood product manufacturing businesses, and particularly in fumiture production, to kiln dry the raw lumber received in a manufacturing plant. In that precess, the lumber and suitable spacing separators, known as hack sticks," are laid up in cross-directed layers to form a stack known as a lumber hack, and the lumber back is placed in a drying kiln where temperature and humidity conditions are maintained at the desired levels and air is circulated for drying the raw lumber.

The most widely adopted procedure for breaking down a lumber hack and segregating boards and hack sticks, subsequent to removal of the lumber hack from a drying kiln, involves tipping the hack to an inclined position and, while supporting the hack from one side, moving the hack vertically so as to permit the uppermost layers of boards and sticks to slide from the hack over the side support. Conventional apparatus for accomplishing this procedure has severe deficiencies and problems have been encountered in use thereof. For example, with such conventional apparatus, movement of the lumber hack to the inclined position must necessarily occur before vertical positioning thereof can be accomplished or even commenced. This result flows from the use of a single motive winch to provide force for both tilting and raising movements and from dependence upon the particular locations of pivot points, the lengths of various moment arms, and the forces acting on the moment arms to cause such movements. Due to the limitations of structure necessary to obtain this sequence of operation, it has been heretofore necessary, among other things, to accommodate the layout and arrangement of a wood products manufacturing plant to the characteristic operation of the hack breakdown apparatus, by advancing lumber hacks to the apparatus on a level with the lowest position of the support or platform means by which the back was to be raised. Such restrictions as to plant design and apparatus arrangement obviously limit the freedom of design choice of engineers in arranging such a plant and are accordingly undesirable.

With the above discussion in mind, it is an object of thc; present invention to provide an apparatus for receiving and separating elongate articles, such as boards and sticks laid up into a lumber hack, wherein vertical movement of a stack supporting means proceeds independently of inclining movement which functions to tip the stack, so that the aforementioned deficiencies and problems encountered with prior conventional lumber hack breakdown apparatus are obviated. In realizing this object of the present invention, apparatus is provided wherein an upright frame means is mounted for pivotal movement between upright and inclined positions and supports a platform means which receives and vertically moves a lumber hack. Actuating means operatively connected to the platform means moves the same vertically along the upright frame independently of tilting movement of the upright frame, permitting installation of equipment for mechanical handling of lumber hacks in whatever manner is required to accommodate the flow of materials through any given plant design.

Another problem encountered with the aforementioned apparatus heretofore used in the breaking down of lumber hacks has been that, while the platform means is aligned with top of the upright frame, no provision has heretofore been made for properly aligning the uppermost layers of the lumber hack with the top of the upright frame. Due to variations in the lumber hack, the layers thereof frequently depart from a true horizontal orientation and therefore frequently depart from alignment with the top of the upright frame. Thus, uneven sliding and feed off from the hack results, delaying the operation of breaking down the hack and introducing inefficiencies into the manufacturing process.

With this further difficulty in mind, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a lumber hack breakdown ranged in such a manner as to permit alignment of the layers of boards and sticks with the top of an upright frame prior to and during the breakdown process. By aligning the layers of boards with the top of the upright frame through limited independent vertical movement of opposite end portions of the supporting means, the apparatus of the present invention facilitates a more efficient operation at the hack breakdown step in the process of the manufacture of wooden products.

Some of the objects and advantages of the invention having been stated, others will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention with portions broken away and others shown in section;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view, in partial section, of the apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating a lumber hack being broken down;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1, taken generally as indicated by the arrow 3in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged side elevational view looking in the direction of arrow 4 in FIG. 1;

FIG; 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged plan view of the frame and platform shown in the right-hand portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, enlarged isometric view looking in the direction of arrow 6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a transverse enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 7-7 in FIG. 5 and with portions broken away; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a-pressure fluid flow circuit providing motive power for theapparatus of FIGS. 1 through 7.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the apparatus of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 through 7 as arranged in a wood products manufacturing plant for separating boards and hack sticks laid up in cross-directed layers to form a lumber hack. Stationary frame means is provided at a stack separating location, including a plurality of horizontal base members 20, 21 and 22 (FIGS. 1 and 2), preferably supported on a concrete base 24 between a pair of pits 25 and 26 formed therein, for purposes to be pointed out more fully hereinafter. Extending upwardly from the base members 20, 21 and 22 are a plurality of angle brace members 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33, which receive and support an arrangement of horizontal beam members 35, 36 and 37 which join together the base and angle members and form a rigid unit of the base frame means.

In order to receive a lumber hack and to lift and tilt the hack for separation of the boards and hack sticks, an upright frame means, generally indicated at 40 (FIG. 2) and of predetermined height, is provided and is supported at the stack separating location for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between respective upright and inclined positions. In the illustrated embodiment, the upright frame means 40 includes three frame members 41, 42 and 43 (FIGS. 1-3 and 5) each of which is pivotally connected by respective aligned pivot pins, such as pin 45 (FIGS. 1 and 2), to a corresponding one of the base members 20, 21 and 22 for movement relative thereto about a horizontal axis defined by the pivot pins. The three frame members 41, 42 and 43 are joined by a horizontally extending beam member 49, in order that the movement of the members about the pivot axis defined by the pivot pins is in unison.

Preferably, the frame members 41, 42 and 43 are pivotally mounted by the pivot pins at a medial point therealong so that the frame members extend both upwardly and downwardly from the pivot pins. This arrangement is desirable for many reasons including but not limited to the fact that the arc of tilting movement of the upper ends of the frame members is considerably shortened thereby saving floor space, and the downwardly extending portions of the frame members may hoist wherein the supporting means for the lumber hack is arengage the side of pit 26 when in the vertical position thereby providing a safety stop in this position. In this connection, the frame members 41, 42 and 43 normally do not engage the side of pit 26 and normally do not engage the beam member 37, but frame members 41, 42 and 43 may engage both member 37 and the side of pit 26 upon certain operational failures and these therefore define safety stops.

Each of the frame members 41, 42 and 43 is preferably formed by a welded assembly of two channel members 41a, 41b; 42a, 42b and 43a, 43b (FIGS. 3 and 6), joined on one side by a plate member 410, 42c and 43c, respectively, and is topped by a pair of projecting pronglike members 41d, 42d and 43d defining a layer stop at the upper extremity of the frame member, for performing a function to be made more clear hereinafter.

To move the tiltable upright frame means 40 between its upright and inclined positions, a first actuation or pivoting means therefor is provided, preferably in the form of an expansible chamber device, such as a pressure fluid cylinder 50 (FIG. 2). Pressure fluid cylinder 50 is mounted at one end on the horizontal beam 35 of the base frame means and at its other end on the horizontal beam 49 of the upright frame means. On the admission of pressure fluid to cylinder 50, the same causes movement of the frame means 40 about the horizontal axis.

In order to support and to vertically move a lumber hack to be separated by the apparatus of the present invention, platform means, generally indicated at 51, is provided and is mounted on the upright frame means 40 for tiltingmovement therewith about the horizontal axis defined by the pivot pins and for generally vertical movement therealong. The platform means 51 preferably comprises a plurality of bed subframes 52, 53 and 54 (FIGS. 1, 2 and each of which comprises a bed member 55, 56, 57, respectively, fixedly secured to corresponding vertical braces 58, 59, 60 and angle braces 61, 62 and 63. Each of the subframes 52, 53, 54 is mounted on a corresponding frame member 41, 42 or 43 by a plurality of rollers. The rollers, such as rollers 64a, 64b, 65a, 65b, 66a, 66b and 67 a (FlGS. mounted on the bed members for free rotation and engage opposite sides of the flanges of the frame members at spaced apart locations. By the engagement of the rollers with the vertical frame members, loads imposed on the platform means by the weight of a hack received thereon are transferred to the upright frame means, while movement of the platform means up and down the upright frame means is permitted.

Platform means 51 also preferably includes a lumber hack supporting platform 70 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5) supported by the subframcs 52, 53 and 54, and comprising a generally rectangular frame formed of suitably interconnected side frame members 71, 72 and cross frame members 73, 74 and a number of hack supporting rollers 75'-81. While hack supporting rollers 75-S1 are illustrated as being preferred, it should be understood that any suitable'means for supporting a lumber hack may be employed, which means preferably includes conveyor means facilitating movement of a lumber hack onto the platform means.

I-lack supporting rollers 75-81 are respectively rotatably mounted at their opposite ends on side frame members 71, 72 by suitable bearings 75a, 75b; 76a, 76b; 77a, 77b; 78a, 78b; 79a, 79b; 80a, 80b; and 81a, 81b (FIG. 5). These rollers 75- -81 are preferably interconnected for rotation in unison and, as illustrated, each roller has a sprocket 75c81c mounted thereon and endless flexible chains 82 extend therearound and around suitable idler sprockets 83 (FIG. 5). Rollers 75-81 may be freely rotatable or may be positively driven, as by a hydraulic motor 34 (FIGS. 2 and 4).

Hack supporting platform 70 is mounted on subframes 52, 53 and S4 in such manner that opposite end portions of platform means 51 are supported on upright frame means 40 for limited independent movement so that successive layers of the lumber hack may be properly aligned with the upper end of the upright frame means 40. Preferably, side frame members 71, 72 are mounted on bed members 55, 56 and 57 for limited pivotal movement by suitable pivot pins 85a, 85b; 86a, 86b; 87a, 87b carried by side frame members 71 and 72 and which penetrate into suitable openings in brackets 88a, 88b; 89a, 89b and 90a, 90b mounted on bed members 55, 56, 57, respectively (FIGS. 5-7). The openings in brackets 89a, 89b on center bed member 56 are generally of the same diameter as pivot pins 86a, 86b, but the openings in the other brackets are horizontally elongate to provide for limited independent vertical movement of subframes 52 and 53 and thereby opposite end portions of the lumber hack supporting platform 70.

To provide vertical movement of the platform means 51 up and down the upright frame means 40, second actuation or lifting means is operatively connected to the platform means, and preferably, as in the illustrated embodiment, the lifting means comprises a plurality of expansible chamber devices, such as pressure fluid cylinders 91, 92 and 93 (FIG. 1). Each of the cylinders, such as the cylinder 91, is mounted within a corresponding one of the upright frame members, such as the frame member 41, and is connected to a corresponding one of the bed members, such as bed member 55. In instances where a stroke length advantage is sought, operative connection between the piston rods of the cylinders 91, 92, 93 and the corresponding bed members 52, 53, 54 is accomplished by means of flexible members, such as chains 94, 95, 96 fixed at one end to the structures of the cylinders and fixed at the other ends to the bed members and rotary members, such as sprockets 97, 98 and 99 carried by the piston rods. In instances where no stroke length advantage is needed, a direct connection of the piston rods to the bed members is appropriate.

The apparatus of the present invention also includes means at the stack separating location for receiving boards and hack sticks from the lumber hack, for segregating the same into respective groups and for conveying the same therefrom. This means preferably includes vertically spaced apart first and second article conveyors which respectively transport boards, which slide from the stack in a sidewise orientation, and hack sticks, which slide from the stack in endwise orientation. In the illustrated embodiment, the uppermost of the first and second conveyors comprises a plurality of endless flexible members, such as chains 100, 101, 102, 103 and 104, supported for movement along predetermined closed paths of travel and having aligned generally horizontal reaches (FIGS. 1 and 2). While the chains through 104 are thus supported to generally define a support plane for boards, the chains are spaced apart predetermined distances to facilitate separation and segregation of boards and back sticks as pointed out more fully hereinafter. Spaced beneath the chains 100 through 104, is a second conveyor, in the form of a downwardly inclined slide 105 and an endless flexible member or belt 106 appropriately supported for movement in the pit 25 and extending generally at right angles to slide 105 and chains l00104. Suitable means (not shown) are provided for driving the chains 100 through 104 and belt 106 in movement along the closed paths of travel determined by their supports.

In order to assure that elongate articles sliding from a stack supported on the platform and tilted by the apparatus of this invention are properly received on the appropriate conveyor means, the upper end portions of chains 100-I04 extend through suitable slots 107, 108, 109 110 and 111 in the upper portion of slide 105 and the upper ends of these chains and the upper portion of slide 105 are supported by cross beam 36 relative to upright frame means 40 so that the stop members 41d, 42d, 43d at the upper extremities of the frame members 41, 42 and 43 extend over the upper portion of slide 105 when the frame means 40 is moved to the inclined position (FIG. 2). As the upright frame means 40 moves to the inclined position and the platform means 51 moves generally upwardly along the upright frame means, successive layers of boards and hack sticks, as laid up in cross-directed layers to form the lumber hack, rise about the stop members at the upper extremities of the frame members 41, 42 and 43. As a layer of boards B rises above the stop members, the boards slide sidewise from the stack. Due to the length of the boards, each board spans at least two of the chains 1110-1114 so that the boards are supported by the first conveyor means and transported thereby from the stack separating location. As the layer of boards slides from the stack, the hack sticks which extend at right an gles to the boards and immediately underlie the boards are carried with the boards and slide endwise from the stack. inasmuch as the hack sticks are sliding endwise, no hack stick will span any pair of the chains 100-199 but instead the sticks will pass therethrough and be directed by the slide 105 to the conveyor belt 11115 which transports the same from the stack separating location to bereturned to the location at which hacks are assembled.

Cylinder devices 50 and 91-93 are included in a pressure fluid system which is schematically illustrated in FIG. 8, and includes appropriate means for circulating a pressure fluid through the system and control valve means for governing the supply of pressure fluid to the cylinder devices. Preferably, the pressure fluid system is a hydraulic system, employing a pressure fluid sump 120 and a hydraulic pump 121 driven by an appropriate motor 122 for circulating hydraulic fluid from the sump 120 to the cylinder devices 50, 91, 92 and 93. The motor 122 may be controlled in an appropriate manner to drive the pump 121 continuously or intermittently as required.

In order to provide for ready control by an operator over the movement of the apparatus, the application of pressure to the tilting or pivoting cylinder device 50 is by means of a tilting control valve 121 shown schematically as including a valve body shiftable among a plurality of positions and a pair of electrically actuable solenoid devices 1241a and 12% for moving the valve body. The solenoid devices 124a and 12% are electrically connected with appropriate electrical switches and a source of electrical energy (notshown), to permit an operator to close an electrical switch to thereby energize a selected one of the solenoids 124a and 124k and shift the body of the lifting control valve 124 to cause application of pressure fluid to the pivoting cylinder device 511 in a selected manner. More particularly, with the upright frame means 40 in a generally vertical position (FIG. 1), the piston rod of the pivoting cylinder device 50 is extended. In order to draw the upright frame means 40 to the inclined position, solenoid 124a is energized to shift the body of .valve, 124 (to the right in FIG. 8) to a position wherein communication is established between the output of the pump 121 and a conduit 125 communicating with one end of the pivoting cylinder device 50. At the same time, the valve 12d opens communication between a conduit 126 operatively connected with the other end of pivoting cylinder device 50 and the sump 120. Each of the conduits 125 and 126 has inserted therein a pressure compensated flow control holding valve assembly, respectively identified as 127 and 123, to control the flow of hydraulic fluid from the associated cylinder device 50 to the sump 120 and thereby maintain a constant speed of movement of the piston rod of that cylinder device 50, notwithstanding variations in the load imposed thereon. Th'us, movement of the upright frame means 40 between the vertical position and the inclined position is accomplished in a smooth fashion. Reversal of movement of the upright frame means 40 is obtained by similar energization of the solenoid 12%. in order to positively control positioning of the upright frame means, manual energization of the valve solenoids 12 1a and 12 1b may be overriden by limit switches if desired. Such limit switches are mounted for direct actuation by the frame means, when used, and govern positioning of the upright frame means in both the inclined and upright positions. in the event of failure of the actuating means or the control system therefor, safety stops for limiting movement of the upright frame means are provided by the stationary frame cross beam 37 and by the side of the pit 26 in which the upright frame moves as discussed hereinabove.

in order to provide for both unison application of pressure fluid to the three platform cylinders 91, 92 and 93 and for independent application of pressure fluid to selected combinations thereof, control valve means are operatively connected with the lifting cylinder devices 91, 92 and 93 in such manner as to provide an operator with a choice between unison movement of the three cylinder devices 91, 92 and 93 to raise the platform means 51 or movement of a selected pair of the cylinder devices relative to the third of the cylinder devices to provide leveling action for a lumber hack supported by the platform means.

In particular, unison movement of the piston rods or the three platform cylinder devices 91, 92 and 93 is obtained under the control of a unison movement control valve 130, including solenoid windings a and 130b acting on the body of the valve to control the particular manner in which pressure fluid passes therethrough. The position of the valve body of the unison control valve 130 controls the operative connection of unison control conduits 131 and 132 with the pump 12] and the pressure fluid sump 12,0. Upon admission of pressure fluid to a selected one of the unison conduits 131, 132, the pressure fluid flows there'through to each of the lifting cylinder devices 91, 92 and 93, through pressure compensated flow control valve assemblies 134a and 134b, a and 135b, and 136a and 136b, similar to the valve assemblies 127 and 128 discussed above. Additionally, con'duit 131 has interposed between the pressure compensated flow control valve assemblies 134a, 135a and 136a and the'corresponding cylinder devices 91, 92 and 93 a plurality of counterbalance holding valve assemblies 138, 139 and 140. The counterbalance valve assemblies govern the flow of fluid into the conduit 131 during lowering of the platform means in partial response to the pressure present in the conduit 132 at that time, so as to provide equal uniform rates of movement. Valve assemblies 134a, 135a, and 136a are precision matched nonadjustable valves to assure uniform downward movement.

By way of illustration of the operation of unison movement for the platform cylinder devices 91, 92 and 93, energization of the solenoid coil 139a results in theapplication of pressure from the pump 121 to the conduit 131. Pressure fluid admitted to the conduit 131 flows through the corresponding valve assemblies 134a and 138, 135a and 139, 136a and 140 to the three cylinder devices 91, 92 and 93, to cause extension of the piston rods thereof and lifting movement of the platform means 51. At the same time, communication is opened between the other unison conduit 132 and the sump 120, for return flow of fluid to the sump from the cylinders through the corresponding valve assemblies 134b, 135k and 13611. The valve assemblies 134b, 1351; and 13612 are adjusted to provide uniform fluid flow through each valve so all three cylinders 91, 92 and 93 move up at the same uniform rate of speed.

In order to obtain leveling action for the platform means 51, by controlled withdrawal of pressure fluid from a selected pair of the platform cylinder devices 91, 92 and 93, a leveling valve 141 is provided for controlling communication between the pump 121 and three leveling pressure conduits 143, M4 and 145, in association with a shuffle" or flow divider valve 146 as described more fullyhereinafter. The leveling valve 141 and flow divider valve 146 operate together to permit application of pressure fluid from the pump 121 to a selected pair of three pressure operated check valves 150, 151 and 152 respectively associated with the three cylinder devices 91, 92 and 93, under the control of an operator. For example, upon energization of the solenoid winding 1411) by an operator, pressure derived from the pump 121 is supplied to a first leveling conduit 145 communicating with the divider valve 146 and with the check valve 150 associated with one platform cylinder, namely cylinder 91. Within the flow divider valve 146 is a movable valve ball 148, positionable under the influence of pressure flow into the flow divider valve 146 to control the operative communication of the central leveling conduit 144 with the side leveling conduits 143 and 145, and to couple movement of the central lifting cylinder device 92 with movement of the selected one of the other two lifting cylinder devices 91 and 93. With the application of pressure to the side conduit 145, the ball valve member 148 moves to open operative communication between the center conduit 144 and the side conduit 145, and seal off the other side conduit 143 from such communication. This results in the application of pressure from the pump 101 through the center and one side con duits 144 and 145. to the corresponding check valve 150 and 151. On application of pressure to'the check valves, the valve members therein are unseated to permit flow from the flower end of the cylinders, reducing the fluid pressure which otherwise holds the corresponding piston rods in extended position and dropping the associated bed members 52 and 53 of the platform means 51. Fluid flowing from the cylinders is distributed to the opposite face of the pistons therewithin and to the sump by associated check valves 153 and 154, and 156 and 157. Similar check valves 158 and 159 are associated with cylinder 93 and serve the same function in connection therewith. In order to limit movement of the piston rod of the center cylinder 92 to approximately one-half the stroke of the moving piston rod of the side-cylinders 91 and 93, a volume flow limiting valve 160 is interposed in conduit 161 between the check valves 156 and 157 and the controlled check valve 151 to limit the fluid flow and thereby control the withdrawal of fluid from the center cylinder.

In operation of the apparatus of the present invention, an operator may independently control the movement of the platform means 51 and the upright frame means 40, to make use of the apparatus in the most efficient manner for the particular operation at hand. In normal handling of a lumber hack, the upright frame means 40 is brought to the vertical or upright position (FIG. 1) and the platform means 51 is moved into substantial horizontal alignment with the floor or the conveyor means on the floor which advances the lumber hack to the apparatus of the present invention. In accordance with a major advantage of the apparatus, such position of alignment may be chosen to place the platform at any location along the upright frame means. The lumber hack is then advanced onto the platform means of the apparatus of the present invention, with the lateral positioning of the lumber hack thereon being under the control of the motor driving the rollers 75-81. The operator may then, if required, raise or lower the platform means 51 to position the uppermost layers of boards and sticks in the lumber hack in substantial alignment with the upper extremity of the frame members of the upright frame means 40, and level those uppermost layers of boards and sticks. The operator will then tip the hack to slide the uppermost layers therefrom by inclining the upright frame means 40 toward the stack separating location. It is to be understood that, in the alternative, the operator may choose to first tilt the hack and thereafter raise the hack and level the hack for sliding of the uppermost layer of boards and sticks.

in brief conclusion, it is believed apparent that the apparatus as herein disclosed provides an operator with full control over the process of segregating elongate members stacked in cross-directed layers, as in a lumber hack. The full control provided to an operator of this apparatus, by means of the independently movable upright frame means 40 and platform means 51, not only provides for ready adaptation of the apparatus to any chosen plant. layout but also facilitates increased flow rates of lumber material through the hack breakdown procedure in a wood materials manufacturing plant, to thereby contribute to greater efficiency in operation of such a plant.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for receiving and separating elongate articles stacked in superposed layers, such as boards and hack sticks laid up in cross-directed layers to form a lumber hack, the apparatus comprising:

generally upright frame means mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between an upright position and an inclined position;

generally horizontal platform means mounted on said upright frame means for pivotal movement therewith and for generally vertical movement relative thereto and adapted to receive a stack of articles thereon, said upright frame means being adapted to engage and support one side of the stack of articles when in said inclined position; first expansible chamber pressure fluid cylinder actuation means connected to said upright frame means for pivoting the upright frame means and platform means about 10 said horizontal axis;

second expansible chamber pressure fluid cylinder actuation means connected to said platform means for vertically moving said platform means relative to said upright frame means and being operable independently of said first actuation means to raise the stack of articles on said platform means relative to the upright frame means so that the uppermost layers of articles are raised above the upper end of the upright frame means and may sequentially slide from the stack when the stack of articles is in the inclined position; control means connected to said actuation means for independently and selectively actuating said actuation means to selectively pivot said upright frame means and vertically move said platform means independently of each other so that a stack of articles may be loaded onto the platform means in any desired vertical position thereof;

stack positioning conveyor means carried by said platform means for moving a stack received on said platform means laterally relative to said upright frame means and adapted to facilitate separation of layers of articles; and

means disposed adjacent said upright frame means for receiving articles sliding from the stack and for segregating those articles into first and second groups according to the layers of the stack, and comprising first and second article conveyor means for conveying the respective groups of segregated articles-away from the stack of articles.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said platform means has opposite end portions thereof mounted on said upright frame means for limited independent movement relative to each other and wherein said second actuation means includes means for moving said opposite end portions of said platform means relative to each other to properly align successive layers of a stack of articles thereon with the upper end of said upright frame means to ensure that the layers properly slide from the stack.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first article conveyor means includes a plurality of endless flexible members supported for movement along respective closed paths of travel having parallel, horizontally spaced apart and aligned reaches, and said second article conveyor means is positioned beneath said first article conveyor means, said first article conveyor means transporting elongate articles moving thereonto in sidewise orientation so as to span the distance between two of said endless members and said second article conveyor means receiving and transporting elongate articles which move between said endless members in endwise orientation.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said stack positioning conveyor means comprises a plurality of parallel rollers and means connected to said rollers for driving the same in rotation.

5. Apparatus for receiving and separating elongate articles stacked in superposed layers, such as board and hack sticks laid up in cross-directed layers to form a lumber hack, the apparatus comprising:

generally upright frame means including a plurality of upright frame members interconnected and mounted for unison pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between an upright position and an inclined position;

generally horizontal platform means comprising a plurality of subframes mounted on corresponding ones of said upright frame members for pivotal movement therewith and for independent movement therealong and a hack supporting platform mounted on said subframes for limited pivotal movement relative thereto about a horizontally disposed axis whereby opposite end portions of said platform means are mounted for unison movement generally vertical of said upright frame means and for limited independent movementjrelative thereto, said platform means being adapted to receive a stack of articles thereon and said upright frame means being adapted to engage and support one side of the stack of articles when in said inclined position; and means connected to said upright frame means and said platform means for pivoting said frame and platform means about said horizontal axis between said upright and inclined positions and for vertically. moving said platform means relative to said upright frame means to raise the stack of articles thereon relative to the upright frame means so that the uppermost layers of articles are raised above the upper end of the uprightframe means and may sequentially slide from the stack when the stack of articles is in the inclined position and including means for independently vertically moving said subframes at opposite end portions of said platform means relative to each other to properly align successive layers of the stack with the upper end of said upright frame means to ensure that the layers properly slide from the stack. 6. Apparatus according to claim wherein said pivoting and moving means comprises at least three expansible chamber,

pressure fluid actuated cylinder devices, one of which is connected to said upright frame members for pivoting the same and a plurality of which are carried by corresponding ones of said upright frame members and connected to corresponding one of said upright frame members and connected to corresponding ones of said subframes, said cylinder devices being selectively and independently actuable to independently pivot said frame means and vertically move said platform means including the independent movement of opposite end portions of said platform means vertically relative to each other.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein there are three upright frame members, three subframes of said platform means, and three platform lifting cylinder devices, and wherein said stack supporting platform is mounted on said subframes for limited pivotal movement about a horizontal axis immediately above the center one of said subframe and for limited horizontal movement relative to the other subframes.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, including control means connected to said platform lifting cylinder devices for actuating said cylinder devices in unison for vertical movement of said subframes in unison, and for actuation of the center one of said platform lifting cylinder devices and a selected one of the other two cylinder devices for independent vertical movement of opposite ends of said platform.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 266 D t d February 23, 1971 Invent0r(s) Jack ESS It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shovm below:

C01. 1, line 8, "precess" should read process Col. 3, line 39, delete "(FIGS and insert in lieu thereof mounted on bed member 55 (Figures 2, 3 and 7),

are

Col. 4, line 63, insert a comma between "109" and "110" C01. 7, line 8, "flower" should read lower Signed and sealed this 6th day of July 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETGHER,JR. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, Attesting Officer Commissioner of Pate: 

1. Apparatus for receiving and separating elongate articles stacked in superposed layers, such as boards and hack sticks laid up in cross-directed layers to form a lumber hack, the apparatus comprising: generally upright frame means mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between an upright position and an inclined position; generally horizontal platform means mounted on said upright frame means for pivotal movement therewith and for generally vertical movement relative thereto and adapted to receive a stack of articles thereon, said upright frame means being adapted to engage and support one side of the stack of articles when in said inclined position; first expansible chamber pressure fluid cylinder actuation means connected to said upright frame means for pivoting the upright frame means and platform means about said horizontal axis; second expansible chamber pressuRe fluid cylinder actuation means connected to said platform means for vertically moving said platform means relative to said upright frame means and being operable independently of said first actuation means to raise the stack of articles on said platform means relative to the upright frame means so that the uppermost layers of articles are raised above the upper end of the upright frame means and may sequentially slide from the stack when the stack of articles is in the inclined position; control means connected to said actuation means for independently and selectively actuating said actuation means to selectively pivot said upright frame means and vertically move said platform means independently of each other so that a stack of articles may be loaded onto the platform means in any desired vertical position thereof; stack positioning conveyor means carried by said platform means for moving a stack received on said platform means laterally relative to said upright frame means and adapted to facilitate separation of layers of articles; and means disposed adjacent said upright frame means for receiving articles sliding from the stack and for segregating those articles into first and second groups according to the layers of the stack, and comprising first and second article conveyor means for conveying the respective groups of segregated articles away from the stack of articles.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said platform means has opposite end portions thereof mounted on said upright frame means for limited independent movement relative to each other and wherein said second actuation means includes means for moving said opposite end portions of said platform means relative to each other to properly align successive layers of a stack of articles thereon with the upper end of said upright frame means to ensure that the layers properly slide from the stack.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first article conveyor means includes a plurality of endless flexible members supported for movement along respective closed paths of travel having parallel, horizontally spaced apart and aligned reaches, and said second article conveyor means is positioned beneath said first article conveyor means, said first article conveyor means transporting elongate articles moving thereonto in sidewise orientation so as to span the distance between two of said endless members and said second article conveyor means receiving and transporting elongate articles which move between said endless members in endwise orientation.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said stack positioning conveyor means comprises a plurality of parallel rollers and means connected to said rollers for driving the same in rotation.
 5. Apparatus for receiving and separating elongate articles stacked in superposed layers, such as board and hack sticks laid up in cross-directed layers to form a lumber hack, the apparatus comprising: generally upright frame means including a plurality of upright frame members interconnected and mounted for unison pivotal movement about a horizontal axis between an upright position and an inclined position; generally horizontal platform means comprising a plurality of subframes mounted on corresponding ones of said upright frame members for pivotal movement therewith and for independent movement therealong and a hack supporting platform mounted on said subframes for limited pivotal movement relative thereto about a horizontally disposed axis whereby opposite end portions of said platform means are mounted for unison movement generally vertical of said upright frame means and for limited independent movement relative thereto, said platform means being adapted to receive a stack of articles thereon and said upright frame means being adapted to engage and support one side of the stack of articles when in said inclined position; and means connected to said upright frame means and said platform means for pivoting said fraMe and platform means about said horizontal axis between said upright and inclined positions and for vertically moving said platform means relative to said upright frame means to raise the stack of articles thereon relative to the upright frame means so that the uppermost layers of articles are raised above the upper end of the upright frame means and may sequentially slide from the stack when the stack of articles is in the inclined position and including means for independently vertically moving said subframes at opposite end portions of said platform means relative to each other to properly align successive layers of the stack with the upper end of said upright frame means to ensure that the layers properly slide from the stack.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said pivoting and moving means comprises at least three expansible chamber, pressure fluid actuated cylinder devices, one of which is connected to said upright frame members for pivoting the same and a plurality of which are carried by corresponding ones of said upright frame members and connected to corresponding one of said upright frame members and connected to corresponding ones of said subframes, said cylinder devices being selectively and independently actuable to independently pivot said frame means and vertically move said platform means including the independent movement of opposite end portions of said platform means vertically relative to each other.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein there are three upright frame members, three subframes of said platform means, and three platform lifting cylinder devices, and wherein said stack supporting platform is mounted on said subframes for limited pivotal movement about a horizontal axis immediately above the center one of said subframe and for limited horizontal movement relative to the other subframes.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, including control means connected to said platform lifting cylinder devices for actuating said cylinder devices in unison for vertical movement of said subframes in unison, and for actuation of the center one of said platform lifting cylinder devices and a selected one of the other two cylinder devices for independent vertical movement of opposite ends of said platform. 